LEE’S SUMMIT — The Baptist General Convention of Missouri held its annual meeting in a single afternoon session on April 2 at First Baptist Church of Lee’s Summit.
Annual meeting participants elected officers (see photo at left), approved a budget, did the rest of its business, heard reports from the institutions it supports and listened to a challenging message from president Randall Bunch of Eldon.
The meeting was abbreviated so it could dovetail into the Baptist Border Crossing April 2-4, a regional gathering of Baptists from various denominations and groups in the Midwest. (See pages 10-11.)
Messengers approved a 2009-2010 cooperative giving budget of $488,000, with $319,640 going to BGCM minstries, including Great Commission initiatives, resource initiatives, administrativee expenses, operational expenses and reserves/contingency.
Ten institutions will together receive $168,360 in support. They include The Baptist Home, Missouri Baptist Children’s Home, Missouri Baptist Foundation, Windermere Baptist Conference Center, Word&
Way, Hannibal-LaGrange College, Missouri Baptist University, Southwest Baptist University, William Jewell College and Central Baptist Theological Seminary.
Messengers also approved a state missions offering goal of $18,000, benefitting church planting, mission partnerships, The Baptist Home, children’s home and the FreeWay Foundation.
The organization budgeted $528,000 in total income, including cooperative giving, designated gifts, state missions offering, interest income and miscellaneous income.
Messengers approved the nominating committee report with the following elected or re-elected:
Board of Directors — New directors: Wendell Page, Lee’s Summit; Brian Anderson, Jackson; Ron Mackey, Imperial; Jim Stuck, St. Joseph; and Richard Carter, Lee’s Summit. Re-elected: Rudy Pulido, St. Louis; Bill Miller, Farmington; Rocky Good, Farmington; Carol Pittman, St. Joseph.
Committee on Convention Committees — New members: Ron Crain, Columbia; Betty Hearnes, Charleston.
Messengers also approved the Committee on Convention Committees report, including:
Nominating — New members: Don Allee, Independence; Richard Carter, Lee’s Summit.
Corporate Documents — New members: Paul Voris, Lee’s Summit; Jim Stuck, St. Joseph.
Credentials — New members: Jim Guffee, Montgomery City; Danny Chisholm, Springfield.
Order of Business — New members: Glen Haddock, Rolla; Mark Conyers, Kansas City.
Bill Webb is editor of Word&Way.
